Exercising device



May 26, 1925. y l 1,539,214

W. G. SHOCKEY EXERCISING- DEVICE Filed July 19. 192s. 2 sheets-sheet 1V rrqL-:l l z l I l l l l I I l I I l l May 2s, .1925. 1,539,214

' w. ca "sHocKEY EXERCIS'ING DEVICE Filed July 19, 1923 2 sheets-sheet' 2 A TTG/WHS Water-ated May Z5, i925..

WILLIs e. snociinr, or cercar-io. ILLINoIs.

EXEROISING DEVICE.

Application filed July 19, 1923.

To all whom t may conce/Mt.'

Be it known that I, lVILLIs G. Snooiinv, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have inventedI a new and useful Improvement in Exercising Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in exercising devices, more particularly in ex-v ercisers for use in building up parts of the body that need strengthening, as distinguished from gymnasium apparatus which is used largely for general athletic pure poses, and it consists in the combinations, constructions, and arrangements herein de scribed and claimed. Y

An object of my invention is to provide a simple form of apparatus which will permit the carrying out of certain exercises hereinafter described, and which when not in use may form a sett-ee, thereby rendering the device available for use in rooms such as bedrooms, libraries, etc., where ordinary gymnasium apparatus would never be used.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described which is composed of relatively few parts, these parts being shiftable to many different positions, so as'to provide for diderent exercises.

A further object of my invention isto provide a device of the type described which may be folded together to take up small space as in transportation,

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the invention will be pare ticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in theV aeco1npanying drawings forming part of this application, in which- Figure l is a front elevation of the device showing one embodiment of the invention,

Figure 2 is a side elevation showing` another arrangement of the device,

Figure 3 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Figure 2, the dotted lines indieating dilferent positions in which the spring arms may be placed,

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section through the settee, substantially on the line Serial No. 652,616.

4.-.4: of Figure 3, but with the spring arms removed,

Figure 5. is a detail sectional view show-l ing the relation of the overlapping bars of opposite spring arms when the latter are concealed, i

Figure 6 is a. front view of the device when used'as a settee,

Figure 7 is an enlarged view of the inf terior face of one of the end members,

Figure 8 is a plan view of one of spring arms, and

Figure 9 is an edge view showing the. device in its folded condition. Y

Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen that I have provided a main body portion l, preferably a fiat board having longitudinal concealed grooves 2 and transverse grooves 3. In the present instance I have shown three of these longitudinal and transverse grooves to accommodate three spring rods or bars as hereinafter explained, but it will be obvious that a greater or less number might be used without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Hinged to the main body portion l at each end thereof are end pieces 4C and 5 respectively. These are also preferably solid boards having concealed grooves 6 which are spaced to conform with the spacing of the grooves 2 and 3 so as to accommodate the spring rods of the arms, The end members such as that shown at 4- in Figure 7 are provided with hinges 7 which are se cured to the bottom portion ofthe body portion l in such a manner that when the end portions 4 and 5V are swung' to their limit they will be in the position shown in Figures l, 2, and 6. They may be held in this position by brace rods such as that shown at 8 in Figure l, these brace rods being preferably flat metal strips having theirends turned up as shown at 8a to enter the lower portion of the grooves 6 which form sockets for holding the upturned ends of the brace rods 8, thereby rigidly spacing the end members 4 and 5 apart.

Instead of the flat brace members I may use bars such as that shown at S', these bars being arranged to enter U-shaped sockets 9 secured to the inner sides of the end members 4L and 5 as shown in Figure 7. The end members may be provided with an ornamental molding l() to constitute the foot portion,

the

The spring arms consist preferably of a cylindrical rod 11 having spring bars 12 secured thereto preferably by being bent around and crimped firmly to the rod 11. The bars 12 are fiat metal bars that are spaced from one another at such a distance that they can enter the grooves 2. In or` der to prevent the wearing of the grooves I may line them with a wear resisting meta-l lining such as the metal tubes 13. These tubes 13`may be cut away where the trans verse grooves 3 are located to allow the spring rods to enter the transverse grooves, these transverse grooves being lined with similar wear resisting tubes between the longitudinal grooves as shown in Figure 3. The end members 4 and 5 are similarly lined with the wear resisting tubes 1Q. From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. Consider Figure 6. In this figure the spring arms have been placed in the vertical grooves 6 of the side members (see Figure 4), and have been pushed downwardly until they rest on the tops of the upturned ends of the brace rods 8, where the fiat brace rods are used, or until they rest on the screws 14, (see Figures 4 and 7) which pass across the grooves 6. When a cushion such as that shown at 15 is placed on the body portion 1, the device forms an ornamental settee which would not be out of place in a bedroom, library, or any other room about the ordinary house. Y

In Figure 1 I have shown the device as set up for exercising. In this instance the spring arms have their spring rods 12 thrust into the ends of the grooves 2 so as to form spring extensions of the body portion 1. Cushions 16 are placed on the spring arms 12. This forms a support upon which one may lie as indicated in dotted lines.

New by bending the arms and moving them with a circular movement with the head resting on the pillow, the spring-extension at the head will be caused to spring up and down, thereby exercising the muscles of the neck, shoulders, arms, chest, and back. The muscles of the legs can also be exercised, it being merely a matter of practice to cause the up and down movement of the head and the feet while the spring arms or extensions bend in accordance therewith.

In Figure 2 I have shown the device arranged for exercising or massaging the muscles of the abdomen. In this instance, a band 17 is fastened to one of the rods 11 and is passed around the abdomen in the manner shown in the drawino. A pillow 16 may be used. Now by bending backwardly and forwardly the patient may cause the band to alternately exert more and less pressure, thus exercising the muscles of the abdomen and giving them a massaging effect which is particularly beneficial in ailments such as constipation. By bending backwardly and forwardly against the spring arm, the muscles of the back may be exercised.

In Figure 8 I have shown that the spring arms may be placed at the sides in the transverse slots 3. rFliese spring arms may be used for exercising such as by standing on the ground, grasping the rods 11, and bending the arms upwardly and downwardly.

The device shown in Figure 6 can. be used as an exerciser without any change by grasping the rods 11 and swaying the body from side to side while flexing the spring arms. These and other exercises can be performed by means of the device, which, as it will be seen, affords means for exercising and strengthening various parts of the body.

The device can be folded up into small compass as shown in Figure 9. In order to do this, the brace rods 8 are removed, the spring arms are slipped into the longitudinal grooves 2, and the arms are pushed inwardly as far as they will go. They are arranged so that the ends of the spring bars 12 overlap, as shown in Figure 5. The end members may then be swung up and the brace rods disposed between the end members and the body portion 1. The device is then in a comparatively fiat form, which greatly facilitates transportation. It is also in a form in which individual units may be easily carried, since the device is of rela tively light weight.

I claim:

1. In a device of the type described, a body portion having a substantially fiat su porting surface, said body portion being provided with longitudinal grooves, spring arms disposed normally inthe grooves and being movable longitudinally to form extensions of said body portion, end members hinged to said body portion for supporting the latter, and brace members extending between the end members.

2. In a device of the type desci'ibed, a body portion having a substantially flat supporting surface, said body portion being provided with longitudinal grooves, spring arms disposed normally in the grooves and being movable longitudinally to form extensions of said body portion, end members hinged to the bottom of said body portion for supporting the latter, said end members, having sockets, and removable brace members arranged to enter the sockets for maintaining said end members in spaced relation.

3. In a device of the type described, a body portion having a fiat supporting surface provided with concealed longitudinal grooves, end members for supporting said body portion having concealed vertically extending grooves, arms comprising a plurality of spring bars arranged to enter the grooves of the body portion, whereby the major portion of the arms is normally concealed, said arms being removable from the body portion and adapted to enter the vertically extending grooves of the end members, and means carried by the end members ior supporting the arms.

4f. In a device of the type described, a body portion having a substantially liat supporting` suri'ace and being provided with longitudinal and transverse grooves, spring arms comprising an end rod and a plurality ol spring bars secured to said rod, and adapted to enter either the longitudinal or the transverse grooves, whereby said spring arms may constitute an extension of the supporting surface ot' the body portion.

5. n a device ot the type described, a body portion having a substantially fiat supporting surface and being provided with longitudinal concealed grooves, a pair of spring arms, each consisting of a rod and a plurality ot spring metal bars secured to the rod, said bars lying in the same plane and being adapted to enter the longitudinal grooves as iar as the rod, a pair of end members for supporting the body portion, each of said end members being hinged to the body portion on its inner face, whei'eby said end members may be folded inwardly parallel to said body portion.

G. In a device oi' the type described, a body portion having a substantially fiat supporting surface, end members for supporting said body portion, brace members for maintaining the end members in spaced relation,

a spring arm arranged to project outwardly from said body portion near one end thereof, and a strap secured to the upper end off the spring arm and adapted to pass around the body of a. pei'son sitting on the supporting surface. i

7. A settee comprising a horizontal supporting body portion, end members hinged to the under side of said supporting body portion to swing inwardly, brace members disposed between the lower portions ot' said end members :tor maintaining said end members in a vertical position, andan ai'm eX- tending upwardly from said body portion at each end thereof, each of said arms comprising a bar having a plurality oit spring rods secured to said bar and extending at right angles thereto, and means for removably supporting said spring rods upon said body portion.

8. A settee comprising a horizontal supporting body portion, end members hinged to the under side of said supporting body portion to swing inwardly, brace members disposed between the lower portions of said end members for maintaining said end members in a vertical position, and an arm eX- tending upwardly from said body portion at each end thereof, each of said arms comprising a bar having a plurality of spring rods secured to said bar and extending at right angles thereto, and means for removc n a w ably supporting said spring rods upon said body portion, said body portion being provided with longitudinal concealed grooves to receive said spring arms.

WILLIS Gr. SHO CKEY. 

